#I should also save other art as drafts and schedule those but I’m not gonna | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

griffinnorth · 3 years

Photo

I'm ready to talk about something I've been working on for a long time...

APOCALYPSE CHILD: A New Original Webcomic

I've been working on this project semi-secretly for awhile now, and I finally have enough work done on it that I feel confident and ready to share with you all what I'm working on.

What is Apocalypse Child?

It's a whole new original webcomic separate from Guild Wars 2 and Tora Steals Things ( @torasteals ). Almost every artist I know has a passion project or two that's been with them from their childhood and this one is mine. I've been world building and developing it for years, and I finally started the script for it roughly a year ago. It's near and dear to my heart and I'm both elated and terrified to even let you all know that it even exists.

Is it anything like Tora Steals Things?

No. Oh no this is a completely different beast...

Tora Steals Things is an episodic and mostly comedic series with a few darker stories here and there.

Apocalypse Child is an adventure story with an actual overarching plot, far less goofs and gags, and a generally more serious tone.

What's it about?

A nerdy archeologist, who wants to be a father, tries to raise a strange kid who might bring the world to ruin. That's its most basic premise.

In more detail...

Apocalypse Child is a story about Thunder, a mysterious and terrifyingly powerful boy who may be the most dangerous creature alive; Buzz Clarwin, the nerdy archeologist trying desperately to raise him as his own out of the kindness of his heart; and Roy Ilzura, a runaway Prince and the archeologist's best friend who is trying to save him from his newfound "son."

The three travel the world together - trying to piece together the mystery behind Thunder while exploring ancient magic ruins, fending off assailants from a secret society hellbent on murdering the boy, and discovering hidden truths about their world's long dead Gods.

If you like modern fantasy settings, ancient ruins, found family dynamics, fight scenes (lots of them), pretty boys (...look I'm not gonna deny it), elemental powers and races, and road trips (no I'm not kidding) - then this is probably your jam.

Cool so when can I read it?

There's no release date for this yet, but I can tell you where it is in development:

16 chapters of the first draft are finished

3 chapters are more or less ready for thumbnails

77% of the character designs are done for chapter 1

60% of the environment designs are done for chapter 1

Once the design work is done, I should be able to move into thumbnails and finally start the first chapter.

And from this day onwards, you'll actually get to see all this design work as I continue development!

What does this mean for Tora Steals Things?

It means a lot of things, but namely it means a change in its current update schedule. TST is now going to be updated every two weeks instead of every week, starting today. (It'll still be two weeks early for patrons on my patreon though)

This wasn't an easy decision to make, but it's one that had to be done. I've been trying to work on both Apocalypse Child and Tora Steals Things at the same time which simply wasn't working. TST eats up a lot of my time and doesn't leave a lot of room for other projects. In order for any of my other work to shine, it needs to take a backseat.

What can I expect to see in the future and where?

Changing TST's schedule to a bi-weekly one actually opens up possibilities for me on what I have time to work on. It means not only will I have more time for Apocalypse Child, but also other art. Here's what you can expect going forward:

Apocalypse Child Design Work:

This includes character design sheets, environment sketches, and concept art. I have a lot of this already so you can expect to see that here as early as next week.

New (and Old) Art:

Ever since starting Tora Steals Things, I've been hesitant to share any art not related to it which has resulted in me sitting on just a ton of art that no one beyond close friends have seen. Some of this art is a decade old! You can expect to see this art finally released for viewing here.

I'll also be making new illustrations going forward so you can expect to see those too.

You can find this design work and art being posted on my main blog here @griffinnorth , on my twitter (SoulBreather), on my instagram (griffinsdnorth), and two weeks earlier for patrons on my Patreon.

(Some of this art is NSFW btw, but those will only be posted to twitter just FYI)

Also there isn't a strict schedule for these like the comic, but you can expect to see something every week as usual - it just won't always be the comic like before.

Going Forward

As an artist I'm changing my direction and expanding what I create and share with you all. It's incredibly liberating to finally share with you some of the work I've been doing in secret for years, and I hope you're all as excited for it as I am.

There's a lot of cool stuff coming your way and this is just the start!

If you have questions, feel free to ask me!

#apocalypse child #announcement #webcomic #guild wars 2 #Tora Steals Things

28 notes · View notes

junker-town · 4 years

Text

5 winners from Week 16 of the NFL season

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Thomas: NFL receptions leader. The Eagles: possibly saved us from more Cowboys games. Both heroes.

We’re almost there. There’s only one Sunday left until the 2019 NFL season comes to a close.

That means Week 16 was your penultimate chance to watch teams like the Bengals, Dolphins, Rams, and Bears. It may have also been one of your last chances to watch the Steelers (done in by backup quarterback mistakes) and Cowboys (general incompetence) as this year’s finale looms.

With one week left, we know 10 of the 12 playoff teams. But there are still a handful of postseason positions to be jockeyed for — including homefield advantage in the NFC and the AFC’s second bye — and two playoff races between Pittsburgh/Tennessee/Oakland (seriously) and Dallas/Philadelphia.

That took the edge of some of this week’s action, but the winners weren’t just the teams that finished their day with a higher number on the scoreboard. Sunday’s victors extended beyond the box score. Here’s who most won Week 16 in the NFL’s 2019 season.

It wasn’t: the Steelers, who may have had their playoff hopes crushed by the ... Jets? no wait that can’t be ri-

Oh damn, it is! The Steelers threw both their backup quarterbacks into the fire against the NFL’s 19th-ranked passing defense and barely cracked double-digit points. Mason Rudolph took back QB1 duties from Duck Hodges in the second quarter, tied this game at 10-10 going into halftime, then exited with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Hodges came back, only to lead the team to 27 total yards on three drives in a 16-10 loss to a previously 5-9 team.

Pittsburgh’s havoc-heavy defense limited the Jets to just 259 yards — and held old friend Le’Veon Bell to 93 yards on 29 total touches — but couldn’t force the game-breaking turnovers that have lifted the Steelers’ anemic offense in the past. With one loss to New York, Pittsburgh has gone from controlling its own destiny to needing help to backdoor its way into the playoffs.

That loss was simultaneously great for Tennessee, which had nothing to play for in Week 16, somehow. A win over the Saints would have built morale. A loss ... well, didn’t really have any effect on the Titans’ playoff chances:

Weird scheduling quirk today... turns out the #Titans-#Saints game means basically nothing for Tennessee. It does not alter any playoff scenario, per @NFLResearch. The breakdown: pic.twitter.com/4uYlZjcb2r

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 22, 2019

Head coach Mike Vrabel took that opportunity to rest tailback Derrick Henry and his ailing hamstring. This was unfortunate for the fantasy owners who’d ridden his 238 fantasy points — fourth-most in the league! — into their championship game just to see him sitting on the inactives list. The Titans, on the other hand, managed to mostly cope just fine.

the Titans aren't missing Derrick Henry yet pic.twitter.com/bCTsSv6ZEY

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 22, 2019

The Titans just need one more win — or a Steelers loss — to clinch the AFC’s final playoff spot. They finish the season against a Texans team that beat them in Week 15, so their path to the postseason may be defined by how Rudolph and/or Hodges do against the Ravens, who have nothing to play for after clinching homefield advantage.

And that should provide an answer to the question we’ve all pondered: are the 2019 Steelers better than the Ravens’ backups? If they aren’t ... how are we all feeling about an 8-8 Raiders team in the playoffs?

Now on to ...

Week 16’s actual winners

5. Middle fingers everywhere

Sunday was a great day for gridiron hate. Panthers defensive lineman Vernon Butler got so heated about getting blocked that he couldn’t restrain himself for punching a player who had no connection to his rage:

I love when we get DLmen this upset. We are doing our job then. And then he punches the wrong player and gets ejected. pic.twitter.com/EL70m6CvMu

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 22, 2019

That earned him an ejection. Because that wouldn’t result in enough of a fine for his liking, Butler made sure to flip off some fans on his way out. Those Colts fans, likely shocked by his impudence, were forced to watch their team win 38-6 without any avenue to properly drop tenderloin-flavored insults at the Carolina defensive lineman.

On the Cleveland sideline — stuck in the middle of a 31-15 loss to the Ravens— continued to boil over. This time it was Odell Beckham Jr., not Jarvis Landry, openly questioning head coach Freddie Kitchens in the middle of a game. The Browns were held to just 15 points after scoring 40 points in Baltimore in Week 4. One Cleveland fan summed that up, and the whole Browns’ season in general, thusly:

Things seem to be going well in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/93oWjJbnSh

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) December 22, 2019

In Denver, in a battle of teams with eight wins between them, the NFL blessed us with more birds. Possibly even a child’s finger!

pic.twitter.com/At6i2cvVR3

— Offbrand John Starks (@its_Telf) December 22, 2019

The face. The indignation. The perfectly extended finger. It’s art.

To that young person’s credit, they ostensibly paid a significant sum of money to watch David Blough throw for 117 yards. They earned the right to flip off any grown man in a Broncos suit jacket who might ask for a high-five. Read the room, ponytail guy.

Meanwhile, Chicago fans haven’t been able to muster up nearly as much full-throated frustration when it comes to their own dashed playoff dreams.

"fine, i'll boo my awful team. but i'm not gonna put my heart into it." pic.twitter.com/9KoPc0Fwyt

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 23, 2019

4. The Eagles, who may spare us from having to watch the Cowboys in the playoffs

Dallas faced a win-and-in situation in Philadelphia. A victory against the Eagles meant head coach Jason Garrett would possibly save his job by wrapping up an NFC East title. A loss meant relying on the Giants to upset Philly in Week 17 just to keep the hope of sneaking into the playoffs alive.

In true 2019 Cowboys fashion, the team saw an opportunity and then vomited all over itself. Dallas fell to 2-8 this season against franchises with .500 records or better by scoring just nine points against Philadelphia’s 17th-ranked scoring defense. The Cowboys’ receiving corps dropped several key passes to keep the offense from ever finding a rhythm. Dak Prescott, dealing with a shoulder injury, needed 44 passes to throw for 264 yards without finding the end zone once.

While Dallas wore its failures like a child stumbling around in a tuxedo, the Eagles deserve credit for pushing their rivals to that (incredibly fragile) breaking point.

Carson Wentz, who’d burned off any MVP hype earlier this season, threw for 300+ yards for his third time in four games. Miles Sanders did the heavy lifting of an injury-ravaged running back rotation and gained 156 total yards. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, who were tasked with carrying a passing game without Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, or Nelson Agholor, teamed up for 13 receptions.

Philly fans were so emboldened by the win that one even managed to sneak his way into coach Doug Pederson’s postgame press conference (before immediately giving his true identity away).

Some #Eagles fan snuck into Doug Pederson's press conference and Doug had to kick him out #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/vhiwYXQpoe

— Kristen Rodgers (@KristenERodgers) December 23, 2019

The Eagles now just have to beat the 4-11 Giants to lock up their second division title in three years. The last time they did that, they also won the Super Bowl.

(They also had Nick Foles, but I digress ... )

3. Giants-Washington, which against all logic was a hot-fire shootout

After 21 minutes of game time, the Giants and Washington had combined for 35 total points. Dwayne Haskins completed 12 of his 15 passes for two touchdowns and zero interceptions before leaving the game in the third quarter due to an ankle injury.

Daniel Jones had his third game of 2019 with at least four touchdown passes — joining Deshaun Watson and Fran Tarkenton as the only rookies to hit that mark. His fifth carried New York to an overtime victory in a 41-35 kaiju big battel in the nation’s capital.

FOR. THE. WIN.#GiantsPride | #NYGvsWAS pic.twitter.com/b5oPT0LCO8

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 22, 2019

That was also the first time a rookie had thrown for 350+ yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in league history.

While Sunday portended bright futures for Jones and Haskins, the game’s biggest story may have been the return of the 2018 version of Saquon Barkley. The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year had struggled over the latter half of the season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 3. He went three full months without a 100-yard game before gashing the Dolphins for 112 yards last week.

Barkley outdid himself in Week 16, when he ran over a team bound for the top five of the 2020 NFL Draft yet again. He rushed for a career-high 189 yards (55 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime) and caught four passes for 90 more — including this deep ball touchdown from Jones.

Not many like him #GiantsPride | #NYGvsWAS pic.twitter.com/s4N866BtVT

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 22, 2019

Washington was still a winner despite being on the unfortunate end of the 41-35 final score. It now has the inside track on the No. 2 overall pick — and that could mean adding Heisman candidate Chase Young to their pass rush. For a team that’s been bullish on Ohio State products recently (including Haskins and top wideout Terry McLaurin), losing may have been the best outcome.

2. Nyheim Hines, who threw off some real Devin Hester vibes

While Butler was off enraging Colts fans (jokes on him, the easiest way to do it would have been to suggest Frank Reich’s coaching last week was subpar), Hines was delighting them. The second-year tailback had only four career punt returns before he faced off with the moveable object that is Carolina’s special teams.

Hines accounted for 195 yards on punt returns against the Panthers, good for fourth-most in NFL history. He only needed three returns — including a pair of touchdowns — to get there.

HE DID IT AGAIN YOU GUYS ‼️ @TheNyNy7 | #CARvsIND pic.twitter.com/3wz8NijVMW

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 22, 2019

How’d he do that? The answer was good blocking, strong lane identification, and some blazing, punter-embarrassing top-gear speed:

To the house ➡️ Down the tunnel. @TheNyNy7 takes it ALL THE WAY ‼️ pic.twitter.com/cMf5JNVe3y

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 22, 2019

Hines had 66 career punt return yards before Week 16. He had returns of 40, 84, and 71 yards on Sunday alone. That was enough to gloss over another mediocre performance from Jacoby Brissett behind center and end Indianapolis’ four-game losing streak.

1. Michael Thomas, who set the NFL single-season reception record

And will probably shatter it Week 17.

Thomas hasn’t had a game this season in which he’s had fewer than five receptions. He’s had 10 with 100+ receiving yards — including Sunday’s 136-yard performance that kept the Saints in the running for a playoff bye.

The fourth-year wideout carved up a middling Titans secondary for 12 catches, increasing his season total to 145 — two more than Marvin Harrison’s NFL record of 143 back in 2002. New Orleans used every inch of his effort. Thomas’ record-setting catch set up the Saints at the Tennessee 1-yard line late in a 31-28 game.

⚜️144 ⚜️@CantGuardMike's record-breaking catch #Saints pic.twitter.com/lZpKfNxmhr

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2019

The icing on the cake was a touchdown reception two plays later that effectively iced out the Titans’ comeback hopes. So how did Thomas feel after coming away with a 17-year NFL record AND a win in one fell swoop?

Actually, he’s just looking forward to the playoffs, especially after the way New Orleans was ushered out of the postseason last winter.

@Cantguardmike says the record doesn't mean anything right now "We are focused on one common goal and that is a championship"#Saints pic.twitter.com/ubfy9Nx2vP

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2019

Thomas will be called upon in Week 17 as the Saints continue their push toward homefield advantage in the NFC. He’ll square off against the Panthers, who he burned for 10 catches and 101 yards in Week 12. A similar output may give him a single-season receptions record that could stand for 30 years.

Or until Thomas comes back in 2020.

0 notes

lumycena-main · 7 years

Text

2016 New Year Resolutions

I made this list of New Years Resolutions at the beginning of 2016, saved it in my drafts on tumblr, and promptly forgot about it until mid November. Let’s see how many I actually completed!

Now that I’m a (mostly) fully-functioning adult, it’s time for me to make some New Year resolutions that are actually feasible, actionable, and non-vague. Well, mostly, I hope.

Self-Improvement

Read design books. It’s pretty bad that you don’t already do this.

Work out on a regular basis. Open your yoga mat that you bought 5 months ago and use it to do shitty push-ups. Also, take advantage of the fact that you’re in SF and the weather is perfect for running all year round.

I started bouldering 3 times a week and then later started doing hip hop dance classes twice a week!

Write more about the things you do, not just the things you feel. You did plenty of that in 2015.

I didn’t write that much in 2016, but I did up my note-taking game a lot at work. I’ll count it.

Art

Start a weekly webcomic on Tapastic, even if it’s crap and not funny and really rough and nobody reads it. Do it.

Make pottery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDXOZHpgi5B/?taken-by=lubibul

Paint more. Don’t let those acrylics sit until they dry up on a dusty shelf. Your blank canvases are just taking up space if they’re not good enough to go on a wall.

This one is a toss up. I didn’t paint more but I did use the hell out of my copics. I also threw a paint party and we painted there. I COUNT IT.

Learn to draw 3+ new things. Landscapes, plants, animals, oh god - feet!?

I learned male bodies, calligraphy, and digital painting techniques

Make stickers, sell them in a professional manner. If you have to deal with taxes, then deal with taxes.

I ACTUALLY PUT UP AN ETSY SHOP! https://www.etsy.com/shop/luluSpiceDesigns

Work

Follow sprints to have more structure in my design timelines.

Instead of following sprints, I began to collaborate way more closely with my developers. It’s been really effective to have a short feedback loop and I got a lot of projects done this year :)

Maintain a 0 inbox every night before you go to sleep. Remember how good that felt when you were on a roll with that?

Maybe not 0 inbox EVERY NIGHT, but my inbox has been quite maintained all year.

Other

Finish all out-standing projects. That cross-stitch ain’t gonna stitch itself.

I didn’t finish the cross stitch but I did decide that I didn’t care about it anymore. Similarly with all the other projects that I have started and completed - I only take on one big project at a time now. It’s given me a lot more focus and peace of mind.

Figure out what the heck stocks are and how they work.

I didn’t do this but I did invest in some mutual funds...

Get out more and explore the place you live. Come on.

Make friends. I have no idea how you’re going to do this, but maybe you should figure it out before you’re all alone for the rest of your life.

Although they’re my friends from work and college, I became closer with a lot of amazing people this year. So excited to take on 2017 with my crew!

Get 8 hours of sleep every night. You know it makes you grumpy if you don’t.

Mostly because of @bulletproofjockstrap, I’ve been able to maintain a pretty steady sleep schedule of about 7-8 hours a night. Amazing.

Be early to things.

What I didn’t complete in 2016:

Read design books.

Start a weekly webcomic on Tapastic.

Be early to things.

Other things that happened in 2016:

Nick and I now live together in our quaint 1BR apartment

I got a promotion

I completed a full inktober

I recovered from depression and started therapy

I drew a LOT OF ART, like a LOT

I started selling stickers on Etsy and it feels amazing

I made 2 songs with AIR APPARENT that are on Spotify

I started learning how to cook and bake

And now it’s time to make a 2017 post!

#new year resolutions #me #2016 #self-improvement

1 note · View note